100 DEER-SHOOTING AND OTHER MATTERS. 



buzzard, come next as to general distribution. The 

 three first named are, I believe, similar in every way to 

 our own species. The water-ouzel (Ginclus Pallasii) 

 is found in all the mountain streams. It differs from 

 the British bird by having no white mark on the 

 breast. I have watched this most interesting bird while 

 feeding or otherwise undisturbed, and always observed 

 that its habits were just the same as in the mountainous 

 streams at home. Where trout exist, the ouzel are 

 particularly plentiful, appearing to prefer the young of 

 this fish to that of the more common Japanese white 

 silvery fish, which is very tasteless, and inferior to 

 the trout. The house-martin is a great favourite with 

 the natives. The bird becomes very tame, building 

 its nest on the cross-beams in the houses, within a 

 couple of feet of the inmates' heads. When sitting 

 at the open street-side of the shops, these birds keep 

 passing in and out, within a few inches of your face. 

 A small board is placed under the nest, to prevent any 

 mess reaching the clean-matted floor. The nests are 

 never destroyed, and year after year the birds return. 

 If they do not, or if they forsake their nests, it is con- 

 sidered very unlucky. The house-sparrow {Fringilla 

 domestica) does not exist in Japan ; but the tree-sparrow 

 (F. montana) takes its place in every way. It is 



